RailWorks Track Services completed a $4.1 million project at the Port of Toledo, restoring on-dock rail service to stage and build trains at the facility’s general cargo terminals.

For decades, disrepair at the Port of Toledo’s general cargo terminal complex stymied the opportunity to stage and build trains onsite. But RailWorks Track Services’ completion of dock work boosts efficiency at the international seaport, which annually processes 12 million tons of cargo.

RailWorks crews rehabilitated the port’s rail infrastructure, including constructing a new on-dock rail loop for 100-plus cars. They rebuilt the port’s three connector tracks with new CWR and concrete ties, giving access to dock tracks for staging the unloading of vessels that come in off of Lake Erie. In addition, RailWorks upgraded both tracks on the mile-long dock to new 100 lb rail, buried in asphalt. Work included four new crossovers.

The improvements bolster the commercial shipping capacity for CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern and CN, the Class I railways that operate through the bustling Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway system.

Unique Features

With heightened security at the port, all workers were required to have Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), which involved completing a federal background screen. Having a stable labor base helped facilitate the clearance process.

To accommodate working alongside Lake Erie, crews wore personal flotation devices for some of the work. Additionally, crews worked safely amid congestion, with heavy equipment constantly shuttling on and off ships.